Machine for cutting teeth on leader-blanks.



M. E. FERNALD.

MACHINE FOR CUTTLNG TEETH ON LEADER BLANKS. APPLlCATlON FILED JUNE 8. 19H.

1 ,Q8%,882. Patented Nov. 12, 1918.

5 SHEETS-SHEET l- M." E. FE'RNALD. MACHINE FOR CUTTING TEETH 0N LEADER BLANKS.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 3. 19H.

Patented Nov. 12, 1918.

5 SHEETS-SHEET 2- M. E. FERNALD.

MACHINE FOR CUTTING TEETH 0N LEADER BLANKS.

APPLiCATIQN FILED JUNE 8. 1917.

1 ,284,882., Patented Nov. 12, 1918.

5 SHEETS-SHEE T 3.

M. E. FERNALD. MACHINE FOR CUTTING TIEETH 0N HEADER BLANKS. APPLICATION FILED IUNES. I917- l,28%,2 Patented Nov. 12,1918.

5 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

M. E. FERNALD. MACHINE roa CUTTING TEETH 0N LEADER BLANKS. APPLICATION FILED JUNE 8| 1917- 1 ,%8%,82-u Patented Nov. 12, 1918;

5 SHEETS-SHEET 5- nnrrnn snares Parana onnrcn.

MARK n; rn'nixmLn, or SAUGUS, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR T0 c. c. BLAKE, moon- ]?ORATED, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

Specification of Letters Patent.

FOR CUTTING TEETH ON LEADER-BLANKS:

Patented Nov. 112, 1918.

Application filed June 8, 1917. Serial No. 173,485;

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, MARK E FERNALD, a citizen of the United States, residing at Saugus, in the county of Essex and State of Massachusetts, have invented new and useful Improvements in Machines for Cutting Teeth on Leader-Blanks, of which the following is a specification.

-.This invention relates 'to machines and apparatus for cutting the teeth on leaders, gears, racks and similar machine elements which are provided with teeth or some equivalent members by which they are fed or by which they feed some other member.

The invention aims to improve the general organization of machines of this character and is directed particularly to simplifying the mechanism by which the relative positioning movements of.the work and the tool that forms the teeth are efl'ected. It is a particular object of this invention to devise a mechanismof this character that )will be more universal in character than the mechanisms now in use; that is, will be capable of handling a wider range of work without complicated adjustments or interchange of parts. In other words, the invention aims to devise a machine that not only will operate satisfactorily on "a wide variety of sizes and shapes of leaders and gears while requiring a minimum of adjustment or change in order to shift from one size or shape of leader .to another, but will also operate satisfactorily 0n leaders that cannot be handled by machines of this character now available. The embodiment of the invention hereinafter described in detail is particularly concerned with the problem presented in cutting gear teeth, or the like, on leaders designed for use in automatic shoe machinery. Lead ers of this character are usually designedto feed a shoe, or some part used in the manufacture of a shoe, past a tool or tools that perform some step in the process of manufactureof the shoe. These leaders usually have substantially the peripheral outline of a shoe sole; and this irregular outline and the presence in that outline of lateral reverse curves make it impracticable to form teeth on such leaders by any of the commercial gear cutting machines. The difficulty involved in cutting teeth on leaders of this character is, that the teeth must be spaced in a predetermined manner along the periphery ofthe leader blank and, more particularly, that each tooth must bear a predetermined angular relationship to the leader. It'isobvious that if ordinary gear teeth are formed they must be equally spaced apart and each tooth must be substantially normal to the pitch line of the leader. Ordinary gear cutting machines are designed to form such teeth on circular, elliptical or other gears having a regular geometrical outline but are not adapted to cut teeth even on unusual or complicated shapes of gears of this character and certainly not on leader blanks having substantially the outline of a shoe sole.

The present invention provides a machine in which the problems presented by this:

state of facts are effectually solved and which not only is operative to cut teeth on a sole shaped leader blank and on other blanksof unusual form, but performs its operations entirely automatically. The solution of these problems, so far as sole shaped leaders are concerned, producesa machine that may also beused to advantage in cutting teeth on similar machine elements, such as ordinary gears, and in the formation of projections or cuts which might not,'in

the language of the trade, be designated as,

teeth but which perform substantially the same functions, such as drilling holes for the engagement of a pin wheel, and the like. In fact, theinvention can be advantageously used on a wide range of work where accurate spacing of the points of operation. of the tool, or the maintainance of a-defimte angular relationship between the tool and the work while the tool operates along a' curved peripheral contour of the work, is required.

v The various features ofthe invention will be readily understood from the following description when read in connection. with the accompanying drawings, in which,

Figure 1 is a front elevation of a machine embodying the invention in its. preferred form; Y

' Fig. 2 is a right side elevation;

Fig. 3 is a vertical cross sectional view of the presser foot or clamping mechanism that holds the work on the work table while a tooth is being cut; h

Fig. 4. is. a vertical cross sectional view through the work support. showing part of, the work positioning mechanism;

Fig. 5 is a horizontal sectional view through the work feeding and positioning mechanism with the cover plate fora part of this mechanism removed;

Fig. 6 is a vertical sectional View taken substantially on the line 66, Fig. 5;

Fig. 7 is a vertical transverse sectional view on the line 7-.7, Fig. 5;

Fig. 8 is a vertical cross sectional View through a part of the mechanism that opcrates the cutter;

Figs. 9 and 10' are plan and side views, respectively, of the leader which the machine shown is particularly designed to operate on, and

Fig. 11 is a cross sectional view takenv substantially on the line 1111, Fig. 5.

Briefly stated, the machine shown comprises a work supporting table, on the surface of which the work is freely movable; a cutter arranged to move up and down past said table and operative "to make tooth-cuts in the peripheral edge of the blank; a work feeding finger which operates on each toothcut immediately after it is formed to feed the blank past the cutter into position for the neXt cut; additional mechanism that acts on the blank to position it in the proper angular relationship to the cutter .for the next cut; and a clamp which holds the work in the new position to which it is adjusted by these mechanisms while the cutter makes a tooth-cut and then releases the work again for the next feeding and positioning movements. The. detailed description of these parts and mechanisms will be taken up in substantially the order in which they have just been mentioned.

Referring now to the drawings, 2 indicates a work supporting table having a smooth horizontal surface on which the blank B is supported. This table is mounted on an arm 3 that projectsupwardly from the main frame 4 of the machine and it is supported in ways enabling it to be adjusted forward and backward with relation to the arm 3, a screw adjusting mechanism 5, which is best shown in Fig. 4, being provided to enable the workman to make a fine adjustment. A bolt 6 projects through a slot formed in the upper part of the arm3 and secures the table 2 in an adjustedposition and also holds the table against movement out of the ways in which it rests.

The teeth are cut-in the blank B by means of a rotary cutter 7- (Figs. 2 and 8) mounted on a shaft 8 which is supported in suitable bearings formed in a bracket 9. This cutter isdriven by a train of gears, best shown in Fig. 8, from a shaft 10 at the lower end of the bracket 9 and which is driven through a spiralgear connection with another shaft 11 (Fig. 2) lying transversely to the shaft 10. A telescoping shaft 12- is. connected by universal joints iaeaaee operative to transmit positively rotative rnotion from the main shaft 13 to the cutter 7.

{The bracket 9 is raised and lowered and also is moved in and out and, for this purpose, it is supported on another bracket 15,

Fig. 8, which carries a cam roll 16 running in a cam path 17 formed in a cam 18 that ismounted fast on a vertical shaft 19 supported in the main frame 4'. The lower end of this shaft 19 has fixed thereto a worm wheel 20 (Fig. 2) which meshes with a worm wheel 21 mounted fast on a'shaft 22 that is driven by gear connections with the main driving shaft 13. The rotative movement imparted to the shaft 19 in this manner acts through the connections just described to raise and lower the cutter 7 ,carrying it up and down past the edge of the blank B supported on the table 2, and thus gives to the cutter its cutting stroke. Obviously all the parts supported by the brackets 9 and 15 are moved up and down by this mechanism.

- In order to move the cutter 7 in and out at the proper points in its up and down movement, a cam 24 (Fig. 8) is mounted on the bracket 15 and is splined to the shaft19 so that it rotates with the shaft but can move up and down with the bracket 15. A short slide 25, also mounted in the bracket 15, carries a'roll 26 that runs in the path of the cam 24 and is provided at its forward end with a slot 27 in which is received a block 28 that swings on a pin 29 carried by ears with which the bracket 9 is provided. These connections swing the bracket 9 about the axis of the shaft 10, and the cams 24 and 18 are while at the upper end of its stroke and it is 4 held in this position while it is making its downward movement. Stated in another way, these connectionsicause the cutter to cut a'tooth slot in the work while the cutter is making its downward stroke but cause the cutter to make an idle upward stroke.

The blank shown in the drawings has the general shape of a shoe sole and the blank when finished constitutes the leader L,

shown in Figs. 9 and 10. This blank when brought to the machine has a main horizon- I tal body portion, which is relatively thin. and a peripheral flange f, Fig. 4, which projects both above and below the'bod'y portion and .is beveled along its upper edge, as clearly indicated in said figure. The upper and lower faces of the flange lie substantially in parallel planes so that the blank rests evenly on the fiat upper face of the work supporting table 2. The teeth are formed in the.

outer peripheral edge of the flange f and the part of this flange being operated upon projects over a slot formed in the rearward part of the table 2.

As above stated, the cutter 7 makes a tooth-cut in the flange f of the blank on its downward stroke and it is next necessary to effect a relative movement of the cutter and blank in order to bring them into the proper relationship for the next tooth-cutting operation. This movement is produced, in the machine shown, by the joint action of a feed finger 30, that engages the tooth-cut last formed and pushes the blank transversely across the line of cut, and an additional mechanism which operates to move the blank into the proper angular relationship to the cutter for the formation of the next tooth slot.

The finger 30 is formed on the forward end of a slide 32 which is mounted in a guideway in a transverse slide 33 supported in a slot formed in a part 34 of the bracket 15. A spring 35, encircling a rod 36, Fig. 6, acts between the parts 32 and 33 to move the finger 30 forward to the outermost limit of its stroke, this limit being determined by the engagement of a block 37 which it carries with the end of a slot formed for said block in the part 33. This finger thus can have a limited forward and backward movement with reference to the slide 33 but is compelled to move laterally with said slide. As clearly shown in Fig. 7, the slide 33 does not fill the slot in which it is mounted in the part 34' but can move laterally in this slot. A coiled spring 38, located in a hole drilled in the slide 33 and abutting against the part 59, Fig. 9, acts on this slideto hold it normally againstthe right hand side of its slot as it appears in' Fig. 7. Both the slide 33 and the finger 30 are moved laterally to effect the feeding movement of the blank B by connections comprising a plug 39, (Figs. 5 and 7) positioned in a hole formed in one wall ofthe part 34 and arranged to bear against the right hand side of the slide 33 as it is shown in Fig. 7, a lever 40 pivoted to the outer end of the plug 39 and fulcrumed on a stud 41, and another lever 42 also fulcrumed on the stud 41 and carrying a roll which runs on the periphery of a cam 43, the movement of this lever being transmitted to the lever 40 through a spring 44 that is interposed between these two levers. Those connections act to yieldingly move the slide 43 transversely of its slot against the pressure of its spring 38.' The extent of this movement is controlled by an adjusting screw 46, Fig. 7, threaded through a bushing 48 mounted fasten the part 34 and carrying a head having a graduated sleeve v47 designed to move over graduations formed on a projecting part of the bushing 48 so that a very fine adjustment of the screw can be made. This adjustment determines the extent of each feeding movement of the blank B and consequently this screw should be set in accordance with the pitch of the teeth to be cut in the leader.

The mechanism for positioning the blank B in the proper angular relationship to the cutter comprises a circular stud 50 (Figs. 4 and 5) mounted to engage the inner face of the flange f directly opposite the point of operation of the cutter and two rolls 51 arranged to engage the opposite face of the flange and mounted at opposite sides of the axis of the stud 50. Preferably the rolls 51 are frusto-conical in shape, as clearly shown in Fig. 4, so that they will fit snugly against the upper beveled face of the flange of the blank. The stud 50 is mounted on" a bell crank lever 53 (Fig. 4) which is fulcrumed on a pin 54 supported in a part of the work supporting table 2. Alink 55 and a bell crank lever 56, one'arm of which forms a handle and the other arm of which, is pivoted to the link 55, constitute a toggle mechanism designed to hold the stud 50 in a fixed position against the inner face of the flange f when the parts are in the positions in which they are shown in full lines in Fig. 4, and to withdraw the stud 50 to a point below the level of the work supporting face of the table 2 and permit the removal of the work when the parts are moved into the positions in which they are shown in dotted lines in Fig. 4. The two rolls 51 are mounted on short vertical stubshafts which are secured in the vertical end of a slide 58 that is movable forward and backward in a cam follower 59 mounted to slide forward and backward in a guideway formed in a cap 60 which is bolted to the part 34, as clearly shown in Figs. 6 and 7. The cam follower 59 carries a cam roll 61 running in a cam path 62 formed in the cam 43. A limited amount of relative sliding movement between the parts 58 and 59 is permitted by means of a slot 63 formed in the part 59 and a lug 64 secured to the slide 58 and working in said slot. Normally the slide 58 is held at the forward limit of its stroke with reference to the cam follower 59 by means of a stifl' coiled spring 65 mounted between these parts. A transverse tongue 66, Fig. 6, formed in'the part 33 and entering a correspondingly shaped groove formed in the cam follower 59, compels the feed finger 30 to be advanced and withdrawn with the cam follower 58 except for the limited amount of movement provided between the parts 33 and 32, as above described.

It will now be understood that after the cutter 7 has made its downward stroke and has formed a tooth slot in the edge of the blank B, the feed finger 30 will be allowed to advance, bv virtue of the forward movement of the cam follower 59 produced by 65 and the slide 58 to the rolls 51, thus causing them to bear against the outer face of the flange f of the blank and'hold the flangeagainst the fixed stud 50. The pressure exerted on the rolls 51 at this time is relatively light although probably sufiicient to maintain the blank is substantially the proper angular relationship to the cutter while this transferring movement is being made, since the blank at this time is free to move on the surface of the table 2. As soon, however, as this feeding movement has been, completed, the cam 43 acts through the parts 61, 59, 65

' and 58 to press the rolls 51 forward with an increased pressure, causing them to cooperate with the stud 50 to swing the'blank B into the proper angular relationship to the cutter for'the next cut, provided, of course, the blank has not already been moved into that position by the light pressure previously exerted on the rolls 51. The axis of the stud 50 is in vertical alinement with the cutter 7 and the central Vertical plane of this cutter passes midway between the axes of the rolls 5-1. The flange f is substantially V uniform in thickness at all points along the periphery of the blank. Accordingly, this mechanism operates with great certainty to move the blank into such a position that the,

cutter will be normal to the pitch line at the point of operation of the cutter, regardless of the lateral curvature of the edge of the blank. This, obviously, is the proper angular relationship for the cut. It will be noted that the swinging movement of the blank takes place about an axis extending substantially through the point of operation of the cutter. v

This work positioning mechanism is of particular value in operating on irregular leader blanks or gears, particularly those having lateral reverse curves in their peripheries, since it will properly position the blank for each cut notwithstanding variations in-curvature or in shape or size of the blanks. The necessity for making the usual master gears thus is avoided and the only changes necessary to enable the machine to operate on difierent sizes and styles of blanks is to select the propercutter 7, to make the proper adiustment of the screwr46 for the pitch of the tooth and to adjust the screw 5 which .controls the depth of the cut made by the cutter 7. It will be noted that the work positioning mechanism (with the exception of the stud 50) is all supported either directly or indirectly by the bracket 15 which is moved up and down by the cam 18, this bracket being mounted in suitable ways formed in the machine frame, as clearly shown in Fig. 5.

A clamping mechanism is provided which clamps the blank againstthe surface of the table 2 while each tooth-cut is being made and releases the blank again after each tooth-cutting operation has been performed to permit the feeding and angling mechanism to position the blank for the next cut.

This clamping mechanism comprises a clamp or presser foot 68, Fig. 3, arranged to bear on the upper face of the blank and mounted on the lower end of a slide 69 arranged to move'up and down in a guideway formed in a bracket 70 that is secured to the frame of the machine. A spring 71 is interposed between the upper end of the slide 69 and thelower end of another slide 72 mounted above the part 69 and encircles a rod-7 3 that is threaded into the member 69. The slide 72 is grooved to receive the bifurcated end of one arm 74 projecting forward from a lever 75 which carries a cam roll 76 running in the path of a cam 77 mounted fast on the shaft 19. This cam is so timed with reference to the operations hereinbefore described, that it acts through the connections just described to apply a heavy pressure to the clamp 68 after the work has been moved into position for a new cut and causes the clamp to hold the work firmly against the table during the cutting operation. As soon as the cutting operation has been completed, the cam 77 acts through its connections with the clamp 68 to raise this clamp from the work and allow the work positioning mechanism to move the blank B freely over the surface of the table 2 into position for the next cut. The lifting movement of the lever arm 74 is transmitted to'the rod 73 through the sleeve 72, a'cam 78 that bears on the sleeve, and the shaft 79 of this cam which is mounted in the opposite legs of a U-shaped member 80 that bears against a nut 81 threaded on the upper end of the rod 7 3. The cam 78 is provided with a handle 82 which enables the workman to raise the presser foot 68 -from' the work.

Any possibility of the clamp 68 turning with reference to the part 69 is prevented by a guide piece 84 which is bolted to "the bracket 70 and straddles one member of the clamp 68. I The machine may be driven any, convenient manner. In the arrangement shown an electric motor 85 is supported on a suit base and'is belted to a pulley 87 mounted loosely on the main shaft 13. This pulley is designedtobe operatively connected to" said shaft by a clutch 88. Suitable connections,

able bracket 86 mounted on the machine Lasassa clearly shown in Fig. 2, between the clutch 88 and a hand lever 89 control the clutch and enable the workman to throw the power on or oif quicklv.

' A passage 90, Fig. 2, directed downwardly through the arm 3 from a point near the base of this arm, provides a convenient passage for the discharge of the metal chips that are thrown ofl by the cutter 7 and prevents these chips from accumulating at a point where they might interfere with the proper operation of some of the moving parts.

The particular form of leader shown in Figs. 9 and 10 is designed for use in automatic machines in which guiding mechanism is employed that comprises rolls constructed and operating similarly to the stud 50 and rolls 51; Consequently, a use is made in these machines of the beveled flange f with which this leader is provided. It is contemplated, however, that for some purposes this particular form of flange might not be desirable, and it is obvious that the beveled portion of this flange could be turned ofl after the tooth cutting operation has been completed, or the blank angling mechanism might be modified to suit the requirements of the particular piece-of work to be operated upon.

It will also be understood that the invention is not limited-to the specific embodiment thereof herein shown and described, but that the foregoing description and illustration is intended merely to set forth the underlying principles of the invention and to disclose one satisfactory form that the invention may take.

What is claimed as new, is:

1. A machine for cutting teeth on the edge of a sole shaped leader blank. having, in combination, a support for the leader. a cutter, and automatic mechanism for relatively moving the cutter and leader to transfer the point of operation of the cutter around the leader. I

2. A machine for cutting teeth on the edge of a sole shaped leader blank. having, in combination, a support for the leader. a cutter, feeding means operating to transfer the point of operation of the cutter around the leader, and mechanism for maintaining the portion of the edge of the leader in proximity to the cutter in the line of feed during the transfer of the pointof operatlon of the cutter around the, leader.

3. A machine for cutting teeth on the edge of a sole shaped leader blank. having. in combination. a support for the leader. a cutter. means for feeding the leader longitudinally to transfer the point of operation of the cutter along the leader, and means for swinging the leader laterally during its feed longitudinally to maintain the curved edge of the leader in proximity to the cutter in the line of feed.

5. A machine for cutting teeth on the I edge of a sole shaped leader blank, having, in combination, a support for the leader, a cutter, feeding means operating to transfer the point of operation of the cutter around the leader, and mechanism for relatively swinging the leader and the cutter to maintain the point of operation of the cutter in a line normal to the periphery of the blank.

6. A machine for cutting teeth on the edge of a sole shaped leader blank, having, in combination, a support for the leader, a

cutter, feeding means operating to transfer the point of operation of the cutter along the leader in a step by step manner to cute, series of uniformly spaced teeth around the leader, and means for swinging the blank substantially about the point of operation of the cutter to maintain the point of operation of the cutter in a line normal to the periphery of the blank.

7. A machine for cutting teeth on a leader blank provided with a peripheral flange, having, in combination, a tool for cutting said teeth, means for feeding said blank past said tool, and mechanism cooperating with said flange to relatively swing said tool and blank about a substantially fixed axis into successive positions to cut a series of uniformly spaced teeth on said flange normal to the peripheral face of said flange.

8. A machine for operating on a sole shaped leader blank, having, in combination, a tool constructed to cut the periphery of said blank, and automatic mechanism constructed and arranged to relatively move said tool and blank into successive positions to make a series of cuts in the peripheral face of said blank, said cuts being spaced in a predetermined manner and each bearing a predetermined angular relationship to the blank.

9. A machine for operating on a leader blank having lateral reverse curves in its,

peripheral outline, comprising, in combination, a tool constructed to cut the periphery of said blank, and mechanism for relatively 7.

moving said tool and blank into successive positions to cut the peripheral face of said blank at points spaced apart by substantially uniform intervals along said face, said mechanism including mea s constructed and arranged to cooperate with said peripheral face to relatively position the tool and blank in a substantially predetermined angular relationshipto each other for each cutting 0 eration of the tool notwithstanding variations in the lateral curvature of the periphery of the blank.

10. A machine for cutting teeth on a leader blank, havin in combination, acutting tool, a support or said blank, and automatic blank positioning mechanism constructed and arranged to act on the blank to move it relatively to said. support, and tool into the successive positions to cut a series of uniformly spaced teeth alongthe peripheral face of said blank.

11. A machine for cutting teeth on a leader blank having a peripheral face including lateral reverse curves, comprising, in combination, a tooth cutting tool, a support for said blank, and means independent of said support constructed and arranged to automatically move said blank into successive positions tocut thereon a series of teeth normal to said surface and equally spaced therealong.

12. A machine for cutting teeth on the peripheral face of a leader blank having lateral reverse curves in its peripheral outline, comprising, in "combination, a tool for cutting said teeth and automatic mechanism for relatively moving said tool and blank to cut a series of uniformly spaced teeth on said peripheral face normal to said face.

, 13. A machine for cutting teeth onv a leader blank provided with a peripheral flange, having, in combination, a tool for cutting said teeth, and mechanism for relatively moving said tool and blank into suecessiv e positions to cut a series of uniformly spaced teeth along the peripheral face of said flange, said mechanism-including means arranged to act On said flange to relatively position the tool and work in a substantially predetermined angular relationship for each tooth cutting operation notwithstanding varlations in the lateral curvature of the periphery of' the blank.

14. A machine for cutting teeth on a leader b ank. having, in combination. a cutting tool, a blank support, and mechanism constructed and arranged to act on a finlshed part of the blank to relatively move the blank and tool step by step to transfer the point of operation of the tool along the edge of the blank.

15. A machine for cutting teeth on a leader blank. having, in combination, a cutting tool, a blank support, automatic mechan sm constructed and arranged to act on a finished part of the blank to relatively move the blank and tool step by step to transfer the polnt. of operation of the tool along the edge of the blank. andmechanism for s giving sald tool its cutting movement.

16. A machine for cutting teeth on a leader blank, having,in combination, a cutting tool, a blank support, and mechanism constructed and arranged to act on a toothcut previously formed to feed the work into position for the next cuttin operation.

17. A machine for cutting teeth on a leader blank, having, in combination, a cutting tool, a blank support, and mechanism constructed and arranged to act on the work close to the point of operation of said tool between successive cut-ting operations to produce the relative movements of the tool and work required to bring them into the proper relationship for the next cutting epperation.

18. A machine for cutting t th on a leader bank, having, in combination, a cutting tool. a blank support, and mechanism constructed and arranged to act on the work close to the point of operation of said tool between succesive cutting operations to feed and swing the work into posltion for the next cutting operation.

19.- A machine for cutting teeth on a leader blank, having, in combination, a cutting tool, a blank support, and automatic mechanism constructed and arranged to act on the work close to the point of operation of said 'tool between successive cutting-operations to move the work into position for the mined extent past said tool between'successive cutting operations. and additional means for relatively swinging said tool and b ank to bring them into the proper angular relationship for the successive cutting operations.

21. A machine for cutting teeth on a leader blank. having, in combination. a cutting tool, a blank support. mechanism constructed and arranged to act on a tooth-cut previously formed to feed the work past the tool. and additional mechanism for swinging the work relatively to the tool to bring it into the. proper angular relationship to said tool for the successive tooth-cutting operations. Y

22. A machine for cutting teeth on a I leader blank. having. invcombination. a work supporting table on the surface of which the blank is freelv movable, a tooth-cutting tool, mechanism for relatively moving said tool and table to enable the tool to make a tooth cut in the edge of said blank, mechanism constructed and arranged to move the blank between successive tooth-cutting operations into the proper relationship to the cutter for the next cut, and mechanism for clamping said blank on the table while the cutter is operating on it and operative to be unclamped between the successive cutting operations.

23. A machine for cutting teeth on a leader blank, having, 'in combination, a work supporting table on the surface of which the blank is freely movable, a tooth-cutting tool, mechanism for relatively moving said tool and table to enable the tool to make a toothcut in the edge of said blank, automatic mechanism constructed andarranged to act on the blank close to the point of operation of the cutter to feed the blank relatively to the cutter and to angular relationsh1p to the cutter for the successive cutting operations, and mechanism for clamping the work on the table while the tool is operating on it arranged to automatically release the work for the operation of said automatic mechanism.

24. A machine for cutting teeth on the edge of a leader blank provided with a peripheral flange on which the teeth are to be cut, comprising, in combination, a Work supporting table on the surface of which the blank is freely movable, a tooth-cutting tool, mechanism for relatively moving said tool and table to enable the tool to make a toothcut in said flange. means for feeding said blank longitudinally past said tool between successive cutting operations, additional means constructed and arranged to act on the flange of said blank to position the blank in the proper angular relationship to said tool for the successive tooth-cutting operations, and mechanism for clamping said blank on said table while said tool is operating on the blank.

resent it in the proper- 25. A machine for cutting teeth on a leader blank, having, in combination, a tooth cutting tool, a support on which the leader blank is freely movable, means for giving said blank feeding movements of predetermined extent on said support between successive cutting operations, and additional means for swinging said blank on said support between said cutting operations to bring it into the proper angular relationship to said tool for the successive tooth cutting operations.

26. A machine for cutting teeth on a leader blank having lateral reverse curves in the face in which the teeth are to be cut, having, in combination, a tooth cutting tool, and means arranged to act directly on the blank at points adjacent to the point of operation of the tool to position the blank for the successive tooth cutting operations, said means being constructed and arranged to position blanks varying widely in shape and dimensions.

27. A machine for cutting teeth on a leader blank having lateral reverse curves in the face in which the teeth are to be cut, having, in combination, a tooth cutting tool,

means arranged to engage cuts formed bysaid tool to feed the blank into position for the successive tooth cutting operations, and means arranged to act directly on the leader blank at points adjacent to the point of operation of the tool to swing the blank into position to cause each tooth-cut to extend substantially normal to said face, the latter means being constructed and arranged to perform said swinging operations on blanks varying widely in shape and dimensions.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification.

MK E. FERNALD. 

